Indonesia returns to MOP market with 20,000-ton tender after India settles benchmark contract

On May 18, an Indonesian importer issued a tender for 20,000 metric tons of bagged white standard muriate of potash (MOP) for delivery to Palembang between June and August. Bids are due by May 21, shortly after Belarusian Potash Company confirmed its new supply agreement with India at $383 per metric ton CFR.

This tender is the first renewed buying activity after a six-month pricing standstill in the regional potash market. Previously, the same importer canceled tenders totaling 155,000 metric tons of standard MOP—120,000 metric tons of red grade and 35,000 metric tons of white grade—while awaiting India’s contract negotiations with Belarusian Potash Company. The agreement with Indian Potash Limited, signed May 18, includes 180-day credit terms and sets the first major Asian benchmark since China settled at $348 per metric ton CFR in November 2025.

India’s new contract carries a $35 per metric ton premium over China’s benchmark, the widest spread in over a decade and well above the $8 average differential from 2016 to 2025, according to Argus Media. Market participants expect the Indonesian importer to issue a larger tender for the remaining 135,000 metric tons of deferred demand soon after the current tender closes.

The settlement is expected to prompt additional purchasing across Southeast Asia, where importers had delayed second-half 2026 procurement pending a new benchmark. Indonesia’s palm oil industry, a major consumer of potash fertilizers, has also postponed purchases due to prolonged pricing uncertainty.

Source: Argus Media